Franklin County holds first reading of special‑events permit ordinance; 500‑person threshold and vendor license exceptions proposed

Franklin County planning staff presented a first reading of a proposed ordinance that would establish a permit process for large special events and a temporary occupational‑license exemption for vendors at multi‑vendor events.

Under the draft, a "special event" requiring a permit is generally an event held on county property or a private property open to the public or with ticketed access that the organizer expects will be attended by 500 or more persons at any given time. The draft also proposed a limited exception to the county’s occupational-license requirement for vendors at events of three days or fewer, allowing a per‑vendor fee rather than requiring each vendor to have a full local business license.

Autumn (planning staff) said the 500‑person number and a three‑tier impact scale (low/medium/high) are intended to narrow the ordinance to large one‑off events that draw on county services. The proposal asks for applications at least 45 days before an event; staff also included an appeal process and suggested that events name the county as additional insured on vendor insurance policies.

Several members of the court asked for clearer hobbyist exemptions (yard sales, lemonade stands, small neighborhood gatherings) and for stronger, explicit language to protect lawful assemblies and First Amendment activities. Squire Wissman and others urged clarifying that routine church activities and businesses that regularly host customers would not be burdened by the new rule. The court asked staff to refine language around the governing board, the application timeframe, turnaround targets and insurance requirements before the second reading.

Autumn said the draft would return with the suggested edits for the next meeting’s reading.